Case requests provide a way to capture case information into your system without actually creating a case. To the end user, they look and feel almost exactly like entering an actual cases, however, it is up to a manager (or someone with the permission to Approve/Decline Case Requests) to Approve or Decline the request. Approving a case request uses the provided information and generates a new case on the fly, similar to a re-open.
One advantage of case requests is that they can capture new client information on the fly. For example, lets assume you want a public facing case form. A new client can enter a case request without being logged in, and it will go directly into your system for approval. What's more, it will provide you with their client and contact information at the same time. If the client already exists in your system, you can quickly match the submitted information with an existing client, or if it's a new client, you can use their information to generate a new client profile without any additional steps.
Another useful implementation for case requests lies with organizations that need to distinguish between the number of referrals submitted versus the number of cases actually worked. Using the case request system, you can see exactly how many requests were submitted versus how many cases were actually generated.
Once a request has been approved and a new case has been created, you can easily find the original request by looking at the "Related Cases" section of the newly opened case.